Faith & Service

Mount St. Mary is dedicated to revealing God’s love through service in the Catholic and Mercy traditions in which it is rooted. Opportunities for you to serve the community, and grow closer to God while doing so, abound at the Mount!

Held each year on or near September 24, this schoolwide annual day of community service commemorates the opening of Catherine McAuley’s first House of Mercy in Ireland in 1827. In the spirit of the Sisters of Mercy founder, the Mount St. Mary community celebrates this important anniversary by completing acts of service in our school, our neighborhood, and the larger Little Rock community. Read about our most recent celebration of Mercy Day here.

This month-long, student-led annual canned food drive has helped feed hungry Arkansans during the holiday season for more than 50 years. Mount St. Mary students compete to see which class can collect the most canned food items from family, friends, and neighbors. Their incredible efforts now bring in more than 50,000 cans each year for organizations like The Helping Hand of Greater Little Rock and Arkansas Foodbank. It is estimated that over one million canned food items have been collected through Robin Hood Days since the fundraiser began in 1974. Check out details about our recent record-breaking year here.

All juniors participate in a yearlong off-campus service learning experience during their theology class periods, through which they use their talents and abilities to provide meaningful service to 25 organizations in the Little Rock community. From hospitals and hospice care facilities to schools and nursing homes, Mount St. Mary students regularly devote more than 7,500 collective hours of service through this program each year.

All seniors volunteer at least 30 hours of service to their Junior Service site or to other non-profit organizations in the community. This is a graduation requirement and must be accomplished between June and the following March of their senior year.

Throughout the year, Mount St. Mary students may submit service ideas to the Have Mercy Committee. The school’s numerous student organizations and clubs or athletic teams regularly offer students opportunities to participate in additional service projects, as well. Additionally, emergency situations may arise that call for unplanned service.

The Catholic Youth Ministry Office of the Diocese of Little Rock offers a handful of exciting events and programs for teens – many which the young women of Mount St. Mary actively participate in through their individual parishes – such as Search, Senior and Junior High Youth Rallies, Weekend for Life, Catholic Charities Summer Institute (C2SI), and more.